WICK DRAINS & VERTICAL SOIL DRAINS GEORGIA

Wick drains, also called Prefabricated Vertical Drains, are installed in soft soils in order to accelerate consolidation of the soil by providing additional drainage paths for pore water to escape. Other names and variations of this technique are: deep drains, sand drains, sand wicks, band drains, pre-fabricated band-shaped drains. Wick drains thus enables ground improvement by consolidation of soil layers.

Deep deposits of soft cohesive soil can take a long time to consolidate even when pre-loaded. The low permeability of these soils and the long drainage path lengths produce slow rates of consolidation. The time for consolidation to occur is a function of the square of the length of the drainage path. By reducing the drainage path length, excess pore water pressures can reduce more quickly, allowing a significant reduction in time required for consolidation.

INSTALLATION OF WICK DRAINS:

Drainage paths are shortened by the insertion of a vertical wick drain into the ground. The pattern and depth of wick are determined by the consolidation properties of the soil and the desired time for consolidation to occur. Wick drains are installed by pushing a mandrel, or stitcher, through the fine-grained, soft soil layer.

The wicks can be installed by vibratory, dynamic or static means using a purpose built rig fitted with a slender mandrel which carries the drain into the ground without damage.

Typically drains are installed at 1.5 to 3m centers, and depths in excess of 35m can be achieved using special equipment. A single drain should not act as a pile, inhibiting consolidation. It should have about the same stiffness as the surrounding soil mass.

REQUIREMENTS OF THE VERTICAL DRAINS(WICK DRAINS) : 

  • High permeability to permit rapid dissipation of pore-water pressures
  • Sufficient flexibility to accept large vertical and lateral ground movements.
  • Continuity over its full length and a good hydraulic connection
  • an installation method that does not cause so much disturbance as to make the surrounding soil too impermeable for the drain to be effective
  • Ability to function over the required period, which may be for a few months to up to two years
  • Adequate drain characteristics in changing conditions of stress, usually increasing  stress
  • Filters that do not become clogged by the surrounding fine-grained soils.
Rank Name Name in Georgian Population 1989 Population 2002 Population 2014 Administrative Region
1. Tbilisi თბილისი 1,243,200 1,073,300 1,108,717 Tbilisi (capital region)
2. Batumi ბათუმი 136,900 121,800 152,839 Adjara
3. Kutaisi ქუთაისი 232,500 186,000 147,635 Imereti
4. Rustavi რუსთავი 159,000 116,400 125,103 Kvemo Kartli
5. Gori გორი 67,800 49,500 48,143 Shida Kartli
6. Zugdidi ზუგდიდი 49,600 68,900 42,998 Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
7. Poti ფოთი 50,600 47,100 41,465 Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
8. Khashuri ხაშური 31,700 28,600 26,135 Shida Kartli
9. Samtredia სამტრედია 34,300 29,800 25,318 Imereti
10. Senaki სენაკი 28,900 28,100 21,596 Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
11. Zestafoni ზესტაფონი 25,900 24,200 20,814 Imereti
12. Marneuli მარნეული 27,100 20,100 20,211 Kvemo Kartli
13. Telavi თელავი 27,800 21,800 19,629 Kakheti
14. Akhaltsikhe ახალციხე 24,700 18,500 17,903 Samtskhe-Javakheti
15. Kobuleti ქობულეთი 20,600 18,600 16,546 Adjara
16. Ozurgeti ოზურგეთი 23,300 18,700 14,785 Guria
17. Kaspi კასპი 17,100 15,200 13,423 Shida Kartli
18. Chiatura ჭიათურა 28,900 13,800 12,803 Imereti
19. Tsqaltubo წყალტუბო 17,400 16,800 11,281 Imereti
20. Sagarejo საგარეჯო 14,400 12,600 10,871 Kakheti
21. Gardabani გარდაბანი 17,000 11,900 10,753 Kvemo Kartli
22. Borjomi ბორჯომი 17,800 14,400 10,546 Samtskhe-Javakheti
23. Tqibuli ტყიბული 22,000 14,500 9,770 Imereti
24. Khoni ხონი 14,300 11,300 8,987 Imereti
25. Bolnisi ბოლნისი 14,900 9,900 8,967 Kvemo Kartli
26. Akhalkalaki ახალქალაქი 15,200 9,800 8,295 Samtskhe-Javakheti
27. Gurjaani გურჯაანი 12,600 10,000 8,024 Kakheti
28. Mtskheta მცხეთა 8,900 7,700 7,940 Mtskheta-Mtianeti
29. Qvareli ყვარელი 11,300 9,000 7,739 Kakheti
30. Akhmeta ახმეტა 8,900 8,600 7,105 Kakheti
31. Kareli ქარელი 8,300 7,200 6,654 Shida Kartli
32. Lanchkhuti ლანჩხუთი 9,000 7,900 6,395 Guria
33. Tsalenjikha წალენჯიხა 9,300 9,000 6,388 Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
34. Dusheti დუშეთი 8,500 7,300 6,167 Mtskheta-Mtianeti
35. Sachkhere საჩხერე 7,800 6,700 6,140 Imereti
36. Dedoplistsqaro დედოფლისწყარო 10,100 7,700 5,940 Kakheti
37. Lagodekhi ლაგოდეხი 9,000 6,900 5,918 Kakheti
38. Ninotsminda ნინოწმინდა 6,900 6,300 5,144 Samtskhe-Javakheti
39. Abasha აბაშა 7,200 6,400 4,941 Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
40. Tsnori წნორი 2,900 6,100 4,815 Kakheti
41. Terjola თერჯოლა 6,300 5,500 4,644 Imereti
42. Martvili მარტვილი 6,000 5,600 4,425 Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
43. Jvari ჯვარი 5,100 4,800 4,361 Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
44. Khobi ხობი 6,600 5,600 4,242 Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti
45. Vani ვანი 6,400 4,600 3,744 Imereti
46. Baghdati ბაღდათი 5,500 4,700 3,707 Imereti
47. Vale ვალე 6,300 5,000 3,646 Samtskhe-Javakheti
48. Tetritsqaro თეთრი წყარო 8,600 4,000 3,093 Kvemo Kartli
49. Tsalka წალკა 8,000 1,700 2,874 Kvemo Kartli
50. Dmanisi დმანისი 8,600 3,400 2,661 Kvemo Kartli
51. Oni ონი 5,500 3,300 2,656 Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
52. Ambrolauri ამბროლაური 2,900 2,500 2,047 Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
53. Sighnaghi სიღნაღი 3,100 2,100 1,485 Kakheti
54. Tsageri ცაგერი 1,400 2,000 1,320 Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti

Cities and towns in Abkhazia[edit]

This is a list of the largest cities and towns in Abkhazia. Data for 1989 is official data from the Department of Statistics of Georgia, data for 2010 are unofficial estimates of the World Gazetteer.

Rank Name Name in Georgian Name in Abkhaz Population 1989 Population 2010 Administrative Region
1. Sukhumi სოხუმი Аҟәа 119,200 39,100 Sukhumi District
2. Tkvarcheli ტყვარჩელი Тҟәарчал 21,700 16,800 Ochamchire District
3. Ochamchire ოჩამჩირე Очамчыра 20,100 14,300 Ochamchire District
4. Gali გალი Гал 15,800 10,800 Gali District
5. Gudauta გუდაუთა Гәдоуҭа 14,900 10,800 Gudauta District
6. Pitsunda ბიჭვინთა Пиҵунда 11,000 8,500 Gagra District
7. Gulripshi გულრიფში Гәылрыҧшь 11,800 8,200 Gulripshi District
8. Gagra გაგრა Гагра 24,000 7,700 Gagra District
9. New Athos ახალი ათონი Афон Ҿыц 3,200 3,700 Gudauta District